


Howl: a fond farewell

by Epic_Glitter



Category: Life Is Strange 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Closure, During Canon, Family Feels, Gen, No Romance, POV Second Person, Short One Shot, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-23 03:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17072261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epic_Glitter/pseuds/Epic_Glitter
Summary: Focusing on Diaz family bonds, this S2:E1 one-shot offers a unique, otherworldly perspective on Sean-&-Daniel's "forest scene(s)" during Episode 1: Roads.





	Howl: a fond farewell

_Song: Brothers, by Koethe  
_ <https://youtu.be/Qii-GfKt4HY>

–  
  
You awaken, yawning and stretching your legs as you sniff at the misty morning air. Pine cones, dew… are those bear droppings? Thankfully, they’re not fresh.  
  
A diffuse amber glow peeks through the tree trunks around you and the leaves above.  
  
The forest is quiet and still.  
  
You stand and shake off dirt and dew from your coat, blinking away your last moments of serene slumber as you focus your senses, breathing in the chilly air.  
  
You’ve got to find them!  
  
You’ve got to stay with them as long as you can!  
  
Soon, they will run far beyond your protection, disappearing into the horizon, repeating the cycle. You knew this day would come, but you weren’t ready. Who would be? The youngest, he doesn’t even know-  
  
There it is! The distinctive smell you were searching for! Your ears perk, and you quietly run towards the familiar scent of sweat and washed-out shampoo. You can’t even recall the brand – the less significant details of your life _before_ are fading already – but you remember your son’s face lighting up when he noticed the brightly colored Power Bear image on the front of the bottle.  
  
As you close the distance, you silently hope your boys’ lives will be filled with more moments of joy.  
  
Your pace slows as you near the road, staying far enough within the woods to remain hidden. Now, you detect trace scents of greasy potato chips, days-old weed, lighter fluid, and your favorite beer.  
  
The aroma takes you back to that fateful afternoon, only two days ago. Your head droops and you instinctively tuck your tail between your hind legs as a wave of sorrow and concern washes over you.  
  
Sean will never get to go to that party, or try impressing that young woman. No more spending time with that sweet, funny friend of his, either.  
  
He’s only sixteen! Sure, you’d encouraged him to be kind to his brother, to learn a trade… but you still wanted him to have fun, to enjoy being young for a few years longer.  
  
Watching him from the shadows of the woods, you see bags under his eyes. Your boy carries everything he has left in that backpack. Your heart aches as you see him bending under the weight, dragging himself forward step by step.  
  
Your youngest son stops, and the two boys begin to argue. You hear Sean’s strained, impatient tone as he pleads with his brother to keep walking.  
  
“...and my back hurts from sleeping under that stupid bridge,” Daniel says, his voice weary.  
  
“Yeah, so does mine. I was there too. Just… knock it off!” Sean snaps, lowering his voice and covering his face with his hand in frustration. “Hate it when you act like this…”  
  
Seeing this side of Sean reminds you of the irritable, sullen kid who slammed his bedroom door in your face the day his mother left you. In recent years his temper flared less often, and he opened up to you more. The sketchbook and skateboard seemed to help. Yet his rage still takes over sometimes, and he never speaks her name. You doubt that he ever fully healed.  
  
You long to lift all these burdens from his shoulders, but you know it’s too late for that now.  
  
Moments later, Sean is telling his kid brother how “stoked” you, and the boy’s classmates, will be to learn how far they’ve walked. You recognize this tactic – your longtime staple for persuading the boy to wash up, complete his homework, or cheer for his brother at a track meet. He always wants to impress!  
  
You are relieved to discover Sean has been paying attention. Through years of watching you, he learned to calm and encourage his brother.  
  
Yet your mind grows uneasy as you realize that soon, Daniel will find out the truth.  
  
You know the boy’s emotions can be volatile, even explosive, if you break his trust.  
  
At least for the moment, your sons seem to be getting along.  
  
You follow, undetected, as they resume walking by the roadside. The mud and leaves feel cold under your paws, but a pleasant breeze passes through your fur as you go, stirring fond memories of autumn camping trips and nature trails.  
  
The little one is chasing Sean now, pretending to be a zombie, and they are both laughing. Your tail wags and you hold your head high as you continue watching them play and bond together.  
  
–  
  
_Song: Chasing the Black-Caped Man, Nobuo Uematsu (FFVII OST)_  
_(a.k.a. “Ancient Forest theme”)_  
<https://youtu.be/vnPK8LuEnDE>  
  
–  
  
“Look!” you hear Daniel say, pointing to the sky, “a full moon!”  
  
“Ooowoooooo!” he adorably howls.  
  
Crouching just within the treeline, warmth spreads through your chest at seeing his imagination run wild. Seeing him so free, so full of elation, deepens your desire to keep him safe. All too aware that noise could attract predators, your ears perk on high alert, and you sniff intently. Your eyes scan from the water’s edge to the surrounding trees for any sign of movement, but so far you see none.  
  
“It’s not quite full yet, wolf boy,” Sean says.  
  
“Do you think there are werewolves for real?” the boy asks, warming his hands by the fire.  
  
“Dude, we _are_ the wolves!” Sean replies, throwing his head back for a spirited howl. “Oowoooo! See?”  
  
You hear both brothers howling, now, Daniel cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his wolf call. They lift their eyes to the moon above, their fire illuminating the youthful exuberance on their glowing faces.  
  
You can’t help but join in!  
  
You shout into the night sky, releasing your worries and regrets as your canine voice joins with the young humans’. You are here, with your family. Together.  
  
Your voices create a powerful, echoing chorus!  
  
As the howling ends, you look to your sons with pride. They are full of life, they have their imagination and creativity, they have all that you taught them, they have each other! You feel a spark of hope that they’ll make it through this together. They will find a way.  
  
Earlier in the day, you patrolled a wide circle around them. It was mostly boring, because your nose told you all the bears left days ago. Still, when you sensed danger nearby, you scared it away. Carefully crinkling leaves, snapping twigs, or sprinting to make noise did the trick.  
  
Your boys were safe.  
  
Around sunset, you’d found two unknown humans wading into the water, their clothing draped over branches by the riverbank. When they heard your persistent rustling, they ran off, and you feel certain that they went in the opposite direction of the only car you’d-  
  
Wait, what is that acrid smell?  
  
...Oh. Someone’s peeing.  
  
Someone closeby.  
  
As you hear a zipper being pulled up, you stand, struggling to see through moonlight obscured by the forest canopy. You sniff the air, once again smelling-  
  
Daniel. He’s looking straight at you.  
  
Part of you wants to run. Your son is already going through so much, and you don’t know how he’ll react to… _this_. At very least, you don’t want to add to his troubles.  
  
But you remain still, your eyes gazing warmly up into Daniel’s own.  
  
You love him so much…  
  
He steps forward, leans down, and reaches out his hand as if to pet your head.  
  
Of course, his hand passes right through you.  
  
He tilts his head to the side curiously, and tries again, smiling in wonder as his hand goes through your translucent body once more. You can’t keep your tail from wagging, a pleased, affectionate whimper rising from your throat as you share this moment.  
  
“A ghost wolf? ...Awesome possum!” He whispers, before turning and walking back to his brother.  
  
“Sean… I heard something… I swear…” Daniel says, pausing to stand in the warm glow of the flame.  
  
“Yeah, it’s a forest! There’s a lot of critters out there. What, scared you’ll pee on them?” Sean teases, adding a log to the fire. You long to be close to him, too, one last time- but you know it can not be. You already see him struggling to understand witnessing Daniel’s powers firsthand, on top of losing you and living on the run.  
  
Seeing a real life phantom, this close to _Día de Muertos_? It could _break_ him.  
  
“Shut up, I didn’t!” Daniel says dejectedly.  
  
“I think we earned some serious rest. I could sleep forever...” Sean muses, as both boys lie down on the blanket.  
  
You wish you could protect them from the bitter cold, their nightmares, and the discomfort of sleeping on bare earth with only a blanket- but there is only so much you can do now.  
  
They will be on their own soon, as you were when you left Puerto Lobos.  
  
“You did awesome today, Daniel,” your eldest son tells his brother. In your mind, you laugh to yourself. You can’t believe you’re finally hearing Sean praise the boy, but he does sound sincere.  
  
“Really?” You know how long Daniel’s been desperately aching for his brother’s approval, and tonight, his eager voice matches his satisfied grin.  
  
“Hell yeah! Without you, there’s no Fellowship!” A Lord of the Rings reference – like father, like son! You _knew_ he enjoyed watching, no matter how many times he rolled his eyes! You can almost see them both glowing with brotherly love, despite the yawning that follows.  
  
“Hmm… that’s cool… my eyes won’t… stay open…”  
  
“Sleep tight, bro.”  
  
You watch them for several minutes as they sleep, the sounds of crickets, frogs, and the crackling fire easing them into slumber.  
  
You wish you could stay with them in this moment. You know it will hurt to let go – in fact, it already does.  
  
You resume your patrol late into the night, leading with your snout, scaring away a range of (mostly smaller) woodland creatures. A gentle wind blows through your fur, the falling temperature turning your mind to the holiday season.  
  
Memories flow into your consciousness, lingering, fading, and slowly shifting from one to the next:  
  
A delighted Daniel opening his new PlayBox on Christmas morning. Your family gathering on the couch to rewatch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, Daniel hoarding the popcorn, Sean feigning reluctance to this Diaz holiday tradition. Enjoying your view of the snowy mountain landscape while riding the chair lift up the slopes of Mt. Baker. Sean hitting the jumps, Daniel learning to “make a pizza” with the skis, everyone sipping cocoa by the fire in the lodge.  
  
Watching them again in the light of the campfire’s flame, you try to transfer these fond memories into the sleeping siblings. The gesture feels a bit silly, perhaps, but you want these experiences to give them the solid foundation of family, resilience, and courage they will need on the road ahead. You know they remember. But you also want them to know they are loved, that there will still be good times ahead, that part of you will always be-  
  
“Daaaaad… Dad… Where are we?” Daniel cries out, his voice trembling, eyes still shut.  
  
You let out a quiet, mournful whimper. You want to rush to his side, hold him and comfort him, yet your spectral form remains rooted to the spot.  
  
You keep telling yourself, he has his brother. But nothing fully eases your distress as he tosses and turns, trapped in a nightmare, calling for you.  
  
Sean wakes and comforts the boy, adding another bit of wood to the fire as he assures Daniel he will keep him safe. You once again feel a swell of pride as Sean wishes his brother “Goodnight.”  
  
–  
  
In the early morning twilight, your sons begin stirring again. Sean gets up first, and you admire his fortitude in facing another uncertain dawn. He quietly, methodically packs his belongings before waking his brother, rolling up the blanket, and putting out the fire.  
  
Daniel yawns and stretches, saying he’s hungry as his stomach loudly gurgles. You press your ears back against your head in shame – you worked hard every day at the garage to prevent this. Your sons were not supposed to know want, or hunger, or-  
  
No. Your time is running out.  
  
You must let go of these regrets.  
  
Sean gives Daniel an encouraging fist bump, then a hug, explaining that the treasure they seek on today’s adventure will, in fact, be food. The younger boy’s eyes are wide as he begins excitedly listing favorite dishes and fantastic creatures they might encounter along the way.  
  
You follow them, at a distance, back up the hiking trail to where it meets State Route 7.  
  
As the boys begin walking along the shoulder of the road, you feel your body beginning to fade, and you know the time has come.  
  
You hope that you taught them well: how to survive, how to think ahead, how to care for each other. Even, hopefully, how to use their power wisely. You pray for their safety and well-being. Seeing them trek onward side-by-side fills you with relief and hope, because the bond between them is only growing. You trust that together they can endure anything, even losing you, and go on to follow their own strange and wonderful dreams.  
  
You are ready to let go.  
  
Daniel turns around to face the trailhead, his eyes filled with excitement and glee as he hears your howl and immediately joins in:  
  
“Ooowoooooo!”  
  
Sean looks to Daniel with surprise, then follows his eyes, unsure what the boy is looking at.  
  
You know the young man would be terrified if he could hear you, or see your gradually disappearing form. For once, there is a silver lining to your limitations. If you could, though, you would have risked letting _both_ sons see you and hear your call.  
  
As you bid your final, howling farewell, Sean wraps his arm around his brother’s shoulder, offering his own wolf call before gently turning them both to face the road ahead.  
  
You hold your head and tail up proudly as you watch them go, grateful you had this chance to say goodbye.  
  
Your journey is over.  
  
Theirs is just beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is my first one-shot, my first LiS2 work, and my first attempt at 2nd person, so I would be interested in & grateful for any constructive feedback!
> 
> I'm not 100% sure what inspired me to write this, but once the concept came I couldn't let it go.
> 
> FYI, I am still continuing work on Solstice - CH3. Howl: a fond farewell is set in the same universe as Solstice, but 3+ years later.


End file.
